Ukraine to Extend Cease-Fire as President Signs EU Pact

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a free-trade pact with the 28-member EU at a summit in Brussels, while EU heads of government also prepared to discuss possible new sanctions against Russia. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine will extend a cease-fire in
its fight against separatist rebels today after President Petro
Poroshenko signed a European Union accord rejected by his
predecessor that sent the country spiraling into crisis.

The government in Kiev will prolong the week-long truce,
which it says has been repeatedly flouted by pro-Russian
separatists, by 72 hours from an original plan to end it at 10
p.m. tonight, two European government officials said. The
officials asked not to be named because the discussions were
private and hadn’t finished. The extension will let talks
continue on the release of hostages held by separatists in
Ukraine’s eastern border regions, one official said.

Earlier, Poroshenko signed a free-trade pact with the 28-member EU at a summit in Brussels, while EU heads of government
also prepared to discuss possible new sanctions against Russia.
Poroshenko said that by signing the deal, Ukraine is underlining
“its sovereign choice in favor of future membership of the
EU.”

His government is also trying to bolster solidarity from
richer nations to its west against what it calls aggression from
Russia. It blames Russian President Vladimir Putin for
supporting rebels and stoking violence that the United Nations
says has killed more than 400 people.